— Next Friday on the first SmackDown of 2012, World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan will put his title on the line against Big Show and Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes will defend his coveted gold against Booker T.
— Following an unsuccessful stint on Raw, Drew McIntyre returned to Smackdown on Friday’s show. His resolve and worth was called into question by Teddy Long in a backstage segment as the General Manager matched him up against Ezekiel Jackson. If McIntyre couldn’t win, Long said he’d have to start thinking about letting him go. While McIntyre argued with the referee about having his feet on the second rope during an attempted pinfall, Jackson swooped in and grabbed him by the tights to roll him up for the win.
After the match, McIntyre demanded that Long not count the match as a loss, claiming the referee was biased. Long would retort that he disliked losers, but especially ones who make excuses.
— Shelly Martinez posted a video fulfilling Dolph Ziggler’s request to the “Blue Meanie Dance.”
— WWE Hall of Famer Howard Finkel handled ring announcing duties at this week’s Raw live events.
